Method of making wire frames.



v G. K. RIX. METHOD OF MAKING WIRE FRAMES.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB.3,1903.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

entra n srargns osonen K. RIX, or (intense; rumors,

ASSIGNOR TO BARBER WIRE & IRON WORIZZS,

OF LA. FAYETT E INDIANA. A CORPORATION .OF INDIANA.

I METHOD OF MAKING WIRE FRAMES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7. ilt ltltl.

Application filed February 3. 1909. Serial No. 475,840.

scription of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same. y

This invention relates to a novel method of making concavo-(anivex wire frames, the object being to provide. a method whereby '15 said frames are made more durable and resilient, lighter, neater in appearance, and cheaper than heretofore, and are rendered devoid o't sharp projections and by which certain characteristies are mparted to said frames.

The invention consists in the novel fea- 'tures of the method hercinatter fully dcscribed and claimed. y g

in the accompanying drawings illustrat 2s ing my invention: Figure l is a front elevatndinal and transverse sections oi the same on the lines 2"2 audit-4% of Fig. '1. Fig. at is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the wires in their relative positions before weldin My invention relates moreparticularly to that classof wire tranicswliicli are made of very heavy wire in comparison with the dimensions of the device and which are very admirably exemplified in the base-ball mask. These frames or mask, which are relatively small are made of steel wire of about threesixteenths inch diameter and \vhicln'owing' to the relatively small dimensions of thcde \iceare relatively very short and for this reason very still and unyielding. ()wing to the short lengths and stittness ot' the wires composing the mask, the sameuiust be bent to proper contour before beingincorporated in the structure and in order to secure the same the ends of the wires extending in one direction are looped around transversely entending wires and said loops are then con tracted so as to secure as tight a hold as possible. slippage of the joints thus efl'ectcd is unavoidable as is also the swinging ot' the \viresdhns secured, the latter being arched between their ends. Each of said wires passes over or under a number of arched t 'ansvcrsely disposed wires and at the points where said wires cross each other various means for joining the same have been resorted to. such as soldering, attaching X- shaped clips, and winding finer wire around the same. None of these means has, however, proved etlieient for the reason that these masks are subjected to very rough handling and very hard blows. Hence, displaeen'ient ot' the arched wires could not be avoided. Furthermore the above-mentioned expedients caused very sharp. projections to be formed at these joints which frequently caused severe se 'atches ot the hands ot the players and the ripping of covers of baseballs striking the mask, and also rendered the joints large and thereby intertercd to some extent with the wearewssight.

My present invention consists in tirst. building the mask or any other concavoconvex wire frame in the usual manner, the numbct ;hape and-relative disposition of all \\'i1'cs"bci11g exactly the same as ordinarily and thereafter'welding together the wires crossing each other between their ends.

I am aware that it is common practice to weld cross-wires together and I desire, therefore, to render clear that I do not claim the welding operation in itselt' as a feature of my invention.and iuvite particular attention to the following statement.

So far as I am informed the welding of cross-wires or bars hashcrctot'orc been effected only 'as a primary step in the construction of wire fences in particular and possibly in other structures but. such structures were bent to shapeatter the welding operation had been completed. That is to say, in the maniifacture of welded wire tent-es, straight "wires are employed, the

fencing when completed being rolled. I know of no welded structure having a spherical or oval concavoconvex shape in whole or in part a'sidetrom the subject mattei'of this application.

The cross-Wires of a welded fence are merely disposed in guides to properly po; sition them relatively to each other, while in the mask illustrated the wires are firmly secured at their ends and their positions thus firmly fixed with relation to each other before welding. Tn welding these Wires together, therefore. it bec mes necessarv to thereof at their 5 which maybe said to lie in the concave face of the frame, are subjected to a relatively high tensile stress while the outer arched Wires are subjected to a similar compression stress in effecting the welding together points of intersection. These stresses are transmitted partially to the wires to which said welded wires are secured at their ends but remain partially ever-present in the wires joined especially This is due partially to the expansion of the wires by heating preparatory to welding and their subsequent contraction. The structure thereby has imparted to it a characteristic which is impossible of accomplishment in any other manner. The joining together of the wires by welding would of itself greatly strengthen the structure but by reason of the primary anchorage of the wires at their ends, the stiffening effect of the welding is greatly enhanced and the entire structure has impart d to it an inherent tension which will cause it to ring when struck by a hard substance. As each wire so welded to an other reinforces the latter, I am enabled to produce a mask of lighter wire possessing greater strengththan the present masks of heavier Wire. The welding is preferably effected electrically or in any other wellknown manner adapted to the purpose.

In the drawings illustrating a base-ball mask as exemplifying a concavo-convex wire frame embodying my invention and constituting a product of my method or 40 process, the arched longitudinal wires A are disposed inwardly of the arched transverse wires B, said respective wires being disposed respectively on the concave and convex faces of the frame The loops 0 and D at the ends of said wires are first inserted ever and contracted upon the wires engaged thereby and after completion of the structure the said wires A and B are welded together at each of the crossing points E.

While it is preferable to first weld the same together at the points most nearly midway between the ends of both and subsequently weld the joints in their order of position nearer the edge portions of the frame, it is not essential that this order should be strictly adhered to. I claim as my invention:

1. The hereindescribed method of making concave convex frames which consists in first making the complete frame having its relatively transversely disposed arched wires anchored at qucntly compressing together the relatively transversely disposed wires at their points of intersection between their ends in the presence of a welding heat and shrinking them into each other whereby an inherent stress is imparted to each wire, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The hereindescribed method of making concavo-convex frames which consists in first permanently fixing in its proper posi tion each wire composing said frame whereby a completed structure is produced, and subsequently compressing together in the presence of welding temperature the relatively transversely disposcdwvires at their points of intersection between their ends and shrinking them into each other, whereirv an inherent stress is imparted to each wire, sub stantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The hereindcscribed JllOlll'lOLl of making concavo convex wire frames which consists in first making the complete frame having the relatively transversely disposed arched wires composing the same anchored at their terminals and permanently fixed in rclatim positions, and in subsequently compressing said relatively transversely disposed wires together at points of intersection in the presence of welding heat and shrinking them partially into each other, whereby all slack inherent are imin t:hc-said wires is taken up and tension and compression stresses parted thereto. 4

4. The hereindcscribed method of making 'concavo convex wire frames which consists their terminals, and snbsein first making the complete frame having the relativel transversel dis aosed arched y 1 Wires composing the same anchored at their terminals and )ermanentl fixed in relative .l positions, one set of posed on the convex face and the other on the concave face of said frame, and in subse quently coi'npressmg said relatively transsaid. wires being disversely disposed wires together atpoints-of intersection in the; presence of weldingheat' and shrii'iking them partially into each other, whereby all slack in said wires istaken up and inherent tension stressesimparted to the wires on the concave face of said frame and inherent compression stresses are imparted to the wires on the convex faceof the frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my.

ame in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

"GEORGE Kr \Vitnesses G. A. JonNsoN, FRANK M. GARY. 

